Coffin-fastener



(No Model) S. COFIELD.

- 00 PASTBNBR. No. 404,872. Patented June 11, 18889..a

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SILAS A. SCOFIELD, OF MORENCI, MICHIGAN.

COFFIN-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,872, dated June 11,1889.

Application filed March l, 1889. Serial No. 301,713. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known thatI, SILAs A. SCOFIELD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Morenci, in the county of Lenawee and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Casket-LidFastenings; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, suchas will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specifica-tion.

This invention relates to the manner of securing the lid to the top ofburial-caskets;

and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts whereby thelid may be readily and firmly secured to the top of the casket withoutthe use of nails orl screws, making a. cheap and serviceable fastening,and one that greatly facilitates the placing or removing of casket-lids,all of which will be fully hereinafter set forth, and the essentialfeatures of my device pointed out particularly in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification,Figure l is a perspective of a casket and lid, (thebottom of the casketbeing broken away,) the lid of the casket being removed and inverted,showing the fastenings on the under face of the lid, as they correspondwith the engaging plates on the top of the casket. Fig. 2 is an enlargeddetail of one of the footfend fastenings drawn apart, the edge of thelid being broken away, showing the shape and manner of securing thetongue-plate to the lid. This view shows the parts in their relativepositions as they are about to engage in the act of securing thelid tothe casket. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of saine, showingposition of parts when the lid is secured to the top of the casket. Fig.4 is an enlarged detail showing the head-end fastening drawn apart inposition before engagement. Fig. 5 is a llongitudinal section in detailshowing the position of the head-end, fastening when the lid is lockedto the top of the casket. Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 are details to bereferred to.

As indicated in the drawings, B represents of the lid, and so as tocorrespond with the plates C C on the top of the casket are the ton gue-plates G G and the right and left hand spring-plates H H, (see Fig.1,) the plates G G having the side wings 2 2, through which the screwspass when securing said plates to the under face of the casket-lid, (seeFigs. l and 2,) the plates G G also having the wedgeshaped tongue a',adapted to engage under the plates C when fastening the lid A to the topof the casket B. (See Fig.

The spring-plates H H are provided with the wedge-shaped tongue a andextended spring end 4, having the projecting lip s and depending nose c.Said plates are so shaped that when secured to the under face of the lidA (by means of screws passing through the wings 3 3, see Figs. l and 4)the spring end of said plates will hang down or stand away from theunder face of the lid, as shown in Figs. 1 and 9. The recess O (see Fig.8) is cut in the under face of the lid immediately over the spring ends4 of the plates H H, for purposes hereinafter described. A

The operation is as follows: The lid and top'of the casket beingprovided with the fastenings and plates, respectively, as shown in Fig.1, the lid is thenplaced on the casket, so that the tongues d and o. ofthe fasteningplates G and H, secured to said lid, will register with andlie in the groove-cavities D D. in the top of the casket. (See Figs. 2and 4.) In this position the depending nose c of the spring end 4 oftheplate H will rest on' the plate C of the casket-top, whereby the springend of the plate H will be forced back or up into the recesses O in theunder face of the lid. The lid is then slid rearward, which causes theforward ends of the tongues a of the plates G to engage under the platesC. Said tongues being wedge-shaped, as they pass rearward under said vplate C the lid is IOO drawn tightly down to the top of the Casket, asshown iu Fig. 3. At the saine time the tongues d of the springplates Ilengage under the plates C, the nose or catch c sliding 0n top of saidplate. These parts are so arranged that (in sliding' the lid back in theact of securing it to the top of the casket) when the base of the tonguea comes in contact with the front end of the plate C the nose or catch cwill have just passed the rear end of said plate, when the propensity ofthe end a to spring down will cause the nose or catch o to snap over therear end of the plate C, (see Fig. 5,) thus firmly locking the lid tothe casket.

To remove the lid, the depending lip of the spring-plato H, which hangsslightly be low the under face of the lid on `either side and extendsbeyond the edge of the casket, (see Fig. 7,) (by the ingerof theoperator) is pressed into the recess O in the under face of the lid,(see dotted lines, Fig. (5,) whereby the nose o is disengaged from theend of the plate C, when the lid may be drawn forward and removed fromthe casket.

This improved fastening may be made of any material suitable for thepurpose, springbrass, however, being preferred.

It will be observed that the herein-described fastening is simple,durable, and cheap, and that it will readily and iirmly :fasten the lidto the top of caskets,obviating the use of nails or screws.

Ilaving thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A spring locking-plate Il, secured to the under face of the easket-lid,said plate having a wedge-shaped protruding tongue a and extended springend 4, having the lip s and depending nose c, all of said parts beingformed integral, in. combination with the groove-eavity D in the top ofthe casket, and the plate (l located over said cavity, the tongue a andnose e of the spring lockingplate adapted to engage with the plate C onthe top of the casket and lock the lid to the top of the casket, asspecified.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SlLAS A. SCOFIELD.

lVitnesses:

EDGAR S. WHEELER, WALTER BARLow,

